Incandescent-lamp cluster.



I'. SCHWARTZ & L. KLEINMANN.

INCANDESCENT LAMP CLUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1908.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W/T/VESSES F. SCHWARTZ d: L. KLEINMANN.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 Y UNITED srnrnsriignnr union.

FREDERICK SCHWARTZ AND LEO KLEINMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INGANDESCENT-LAMP CLUSTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

To all lwhom it may concern.'

Be it known that we, FREDERICK SCHWARTZ, a citizen of the United States, and LEO KLEINMANN, a subject of the King of Hungary, and both residents of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new Vand Improved Incandescent-Lamp Cluster, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to electric lighting,

and the object of the invention is to produceV an electric light iixture havinga cluster of vlamps or lights constructed and arranged in such' a way that the lights may be turned on in groups of one, two, three or four lights, etc.

W'hile we have illustrated a cluster comprising four lamps, any number oit such lamps may be provided, and one of the objects of the invention isto arrange for lighting the lamps symmetrically so far as possible. For instance, in the present embodiment of the invention, when two lights are lighted, these lights are disposed opposite to 'each other.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly.1 set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-` ing drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ig ures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the fixture, showing the light cluster Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the body of the fixture and passing in the plane of two o ositely disposed lights; this view especia y illustrates the manner in which 'the circuit is made through the lamps individually; Fig. -3 is a vertical section through the body of the lixture and especially illustrating the manner of connecting the electric wires with the interior of the fixture; Fig. 4 is a bottoni plan view of the block or inner portion of the fix'- ture, and showing the arrangementof the lamp contacts and the means for holding the cut-out in different positions to light diierent groups; 5 1s a bottom plan of the socket frame in which the lamps are at tached;,Fig. 6 is -a lperspective of the 'cutout or-.ke which, lwhen turned, lights the lamps in ifferent groups; 7 is a bottom plan viewl of adet'ent plate; and Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the detent plate, taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Referring more articularly to the parts, and especially to 4igs. 1 to 3, 1 represents the body of the fixture, which is attached at the lower end of a pipe 2 which carries the electric wires 3 and 4 to the fixture from the ceilin The body of the fixture cornprises a b ook 1a of any suitable insulat' material. This block4 is of substantially circular form, provided in its under side with a downwardly p1 ojecting cone 5. Vithin this conical portion 5 a circular 'contact chamber 6 is formed. To [the lower edge of the cone 5 contact plates a', a2, 0,3 and a* are attached, as shown. rlhe arrangement of these contacts is illustrated in Fig. 4. The contact plate a is dias Inetrically l'opposite to the contact plate 0.2, and the contact plate a3 is diametrically opposite to the contact plate a. As viewed Lpuplan, the contacts are dis osed 90 apart.

of these contact plates ave outwardly and upwardly projecting contact tips er ears 7 whichare adapted to form .contact with 8@ the electric light bulbs when screwed into the sockets in a manner which will be described hereinafter. rihe inner ends of the contact .plates a and a3 extend inwardly into the interior of the contactchamber 6, being slightly bent so as to give them resiliency,vas shown in Fig. 2,' their upper portions have hat horizontal contact tips 8, as illustrated. rlhe contact plates a2 and a4 have unusually long Shanks 9, which .extend to a considerable height within the contact chamber 6, and terminate above in horizontal extensions or contact tips 10. On'account of the reduced dimension of At/he cone 5, an annular shoulder 1.1 is'iorned, extending continuously around the/block 1a. To this shoulder 11 there is attached a socket frame 12. This socket frame has an annular body 13 to which the' sockets 14 are attached, disposed 90 apart, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The upper edge of each socket 14 is provided with an .ear a5, and

these-ears enable the socket frame to he secured to the under side of the block by means of screws 16, as illustrated in Fig. 2. To the upper side ci the annular body or ring 13, a-disk 17 of rubber or similar ma terial, is attached, and this disk is 'provided with a bush or bushin 18 enla stem 19 which passes upwardly t rough the interior Atrated in'Fi'g.A 4.

ofthe contact chamber. VV'thin the conattached. This spring is disposed in the tact chamber and between the contacts, the stem 19 is provided with a contactplate 20, the form of which is very clearly illus-I The upper portion of this plate is a lobe 21, of semi-circular form, and at its radial edge a bar 22 extends. downwardly from this plate and connects the same integrally with the lower portion or varc 23 of the late. rlhis arc 23 and the semicircular loIhe 21 are both disposed in horizontal planes, as illustrated. The plate 2 0 isformed upon a hub 24, which is rigidly attached to the stem, as will be readily understood.

Before roceeding further with the description, yit should be stated that the stem 19 With the plate 20 constitutes a cut-out by means of which the different lamps-may be turned on. As the stem is rotated toward.

the right from the off position, the forward end of the arc 23 strikes the contact plate aso as to'light the lamp connected therewith. This contact is made by the arc 23 slippin over the upper side of the Contact plate, as i ustrated in Fig. 6. A continued rotation of the stem will next form a circuit through the contact 18 by the lobe 21 sliding under the horizontal tip 10. In this position ofthe cut-out two lamps will belighted on opposite sides of the xture. A continued rotation will bring the contact a3 into circuit,

which lights a third lamp, and in the last position of the key or cu t-out, all four lamps will be lighted. In order to'hold the key or cut-out in the di'erent positions corresponding to the different grou s of lights, that is, one

light, two lights, three ights and four lights,

We provide the detent mechanism. This mechanism comprises a detent plate 25 which is of circular form, as shown, and set in a recess in the up er ortionoi the chamber 6. At its edge this pqate is formed with a downwardly projecting flange V26 as illustrated, and as shown in Fig. 3, it is provided with a laterally projecting contact tongue 27 to Which one of the electric light Wires is attachedas indicated, the said electricv light wire passing down through asuitable opening 23 cut in the block. Near the detentplate 25 the stem 19 is provided With a ri id segment 29, of'substantially semi-circular form, and the periphery .of this segment is provided With circumferentially disposed notches 30, ywhich 'are preferably V-shaped asi shown. On oppositesides the segment isprovided with outwardly projecting 1ingersf 3 1 which operate as stopsito limit the movement of the segment, asV will appear hereinafter. The upper end 'of the stem 19 is formed with a conical point which is passedthrough and centered in ltheplate 25 as illustrated in 2.

On they Bange 26 at a suitable point, as illustrated in Fig. 7, a detent spring 32 ,is

`the lights.

ln the present instance, We provide ive of 7 the notches 30;l the thst notch in which the -tooth 3'3 is engaged, as illustrated in Fig. 7

corresponding to the oli position for all if the key is rotated so that the tooth 33 engages the next notch, one light will be lighted. ln the next notch, two lights will appear, and so on. It will thereiore appear that in turning the lamps oli, the direction of rotation of the key must be reversed. Y S

Referring Vagain to Fig. 3, it will be observed that an opening 36 is formed through the block, through which one of the adres may pass downwardly in order to enable it to be attached by means of an ear 37, to the 9 socket frame. It should be noted that by reason of the disk 1'7, the socket frame is effectively insulated from the stern.

The parts of the lamp described above are incased in a substantially 'hemispherical 9;

shell 38, of sheet metal or similar material, and the upper side ofthe block is covered by a suitable cover 39, of similar material. The shell 38 is provided with rings or collars 40 which' receive the sockets14, as illustrated. These collars are received loosely in openings 41 formed in the shell to receive them, and are threaded internally so that they may be screwedupon the exterior of the threaded sockets 14. At opposite points the lower portion ofthe shell 33 is provided with openings having guide rings 42 through which the ends of a pendent chain 43 pass. The ends of this chainare adapted to be attached in hook plates 44, as illustrated Fig. 6, which hook plates are attached to the periphery of a Wheel 45 or pulley, which is rigid on the stem 19. Evidently, by pulling one side of thev chain the stem Iwill be rotated in one direction, and by pulling the other side ot the chain, it will be rotated in the opposite direction. The stem 19 extends through the lower portion of the shell, and is provided with a thumb-head 46, which also enables it to be rotated iithe fixture is low enough to be withinreach.

When the lamps are attached as Vindicated at the left in Fig. 2, the button 47 comes against the contact `plate. To this button one oi' the 'leading-in Wires 48 is connected, While the other Wire 49 is connected in the usual manner to the plu 50 ol' the lamp.

vIn this way each lamp c oses a circuit between the socket :frame and the lamp contact with which that lamp connects.

' lamps thereupon, a rotatable stem, a plural- Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a lamp cluster, in combination, a block, means for mounting a plurality of lamps thereupon, a rotatable stem, a plurality of contact plates, lamps connected with said contact plate respectively, said contact 'plates being disposed in diiierent planes, and a contact plate attached to said stem and,

having parts disposed in different planes adapted to engage said first contact plates successively as said stem is rotated.

2. In a lam cluster, lin combination, a block, means ihr mounting a plurality o1" lamps thereupon, av rotatable stem, a plurality of contact plates, lamps connected with said contact plates respectively, said contact plates boing disposed in different planes, a contact plate attached'to said stem and having parts disposed in diiierent planes adapted to engage said first contact plates successively as said stem is rotated, and means for holding said stem in a plurality of positions. e

3. In a lam cluster, in combination, a block, means or mounting a plurality of ity of contacts, a portion of said contacts being disposed in one plane and a portion of said contacts being disposed in fanother plane, a contact plate carried by said stem having a lobe adapted to engagerthe contacts in one plane and having an extension offset from said lobe adapted to engage the con tacts of another plane, and lamps connected with said contacts.

4. In a lamp cluster, in combination, a block, means for mounting a plurality of lamps thereupon, a rotatable stem, a pair of contacts disposed in substantially the same plane, a second pair of contacts disposed in another plane, a contact plate attached to said stem having a lobe adapted to engage said first pair of contacts and having an eX- tension from said lobe adapted to engage the other pair .0f said contacts, means for holding said stem in a plurality of positions in which said contacts are brought successively into contact with said contact` plate, and lamps connected with said contacts.

5. In a lamp cluster, in combination, a

block, a socket frame, a rotatable key, a segv-Inent on said key having a plurality of notches" therein, a detent engaging said notches and aording means for holding said Y,key in a plurality of positions, a plurality of lamps, a contact for said key leading current through one only of saidlamps in one position of said ke f, and other contacts leading current throng the remainder of said'lamps, in other portions oil said key.

6. In a lamp cluster, in combination, a block having a central contact chamber, a detent plate mounted in the upper portion of said chamber, a socket frame attached to said block on the under side thereof, and having a plurality of sockets, a key having a stem passing into said contact chamber and pivoted in-said detent plate, a pluralit of contacts adaptedvto carry current to t e lamps .mounted-1n said sockets and projecting into said contact chamber, means for attaching an electric conductor to said socket frame, means for' attaching an electric conductor to said detent plate, a segment carried by said stem near said detent plate and having notches in the periphery thereof, and a spring attached to 'said detent plate, engaging said notches and affording means for holding said key'in a plurality of different positions forming different circuits through said contacts. 7. In combination, a block, a socket frame attached thereto having a plurality of sockets for lamps, a key mounted in said block and having a stem passing downwardly, a shell inclcsing the lower portion of said block, a wheel attached to said stem, contacts mounted on said block for carrying current to the lamps, means for detaining said key in a lurality of different positions forming d' erent circuits through said lam s, said shell having a portion of the un er side thereof removed, and chains attached to said wheel and 'hanging down through said shell.

In testimony Whereoi` we have signed our names to this speciiication inthe presence ol' two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK SCHWARTZ. LEO KLEINMANN.

Witnesses:

F. D. AMMEN EVERARD B. MARSHALL. 

